Energy 101: Clean Energy Manufacturing

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Most of us have a basic understanding of manufacturing. It's how we convert raw materials, components, and parts into finished goods that meet our essential needs and make our lives easier. But what about clean energy manufacturing? Clean energy and advanced manufacturing have the potential to rejuvenate the U.S. manufacturing industry and open pathways to increased American competitiveness.

Text version

Below is the text version for the Energy 101: Clean Energy Manufacturing video.

The words “Energy 101 Clean Energy Manufacturing” appears on the screen, followed by a montage of manufacturing activity.

Most of us have a basic understanding of manufacturing. It's how we convert raw materials, components, and parts into finished goods that meet our essential needs and make our lives easier.

Additional shots of manufacturing activities, followed by a graphic saying, “Clean Energy Manufacturing.”

But what about clean energy manufacturing? Think of it as taking manufacturing to the next level.

Close-up footage of a containment tank being manufactured, using advanced composites.

Footage of 3D printing and advanced lithium battery manufacturing.

Some clean energy manufacturers use innovative technologies to improve manufacturing products or processes by reducing energy use and waste.

Close-up footage of 3D printing.

Others use cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D printing to save time and energy or to build other clean energy technologies like wind turbines and solar panels.

Montage of manufacturing activity.

Clean energy and advanced manufacturing have the potential to boost the U.S. manufacturing industry and open pathways to increased American competitiveness.

So what does clean energy manufacturing look like?

Footage of a containment tank being manufactured, followed by a graphic saying, “Advanced Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites.”

Well, one example is advanced fiber-reinforced polymer composites. These innovative materials combine strong fibers with tough plastics, so that the end product is stronger but lighter than steel. American manufacturers already use advanced composites in products such as aircraft and satellites.

Close-up footage of advanced composite manufacturing.

But, as manufacturing processes for making advanced composites become faster and more efficient, lower costs will unleash these materials in other industries, too—including clean energy industries.

Footage of an electric vehicle, followed by footage of additional clean energy technologies.

Let’s look at their potential benefits for vehicles. Advanced composites could reduce the weight of a vehicle’s body and chassis by as much as 50%, and improve fuel efficiency by about 25% without compromising performance or safety.

Footage of an electric vehicle driving on a street and being charged.

This could help save thousands in fuel costs over the lifetime of an average vehicle.

Footage of an electric vehicle driving being charged and a series of different batteries.

Most plug-in electric vehicles today use lithium-ion batteries, which already offer an excellent power-to-weight ratio, high-energy efficiency, and long life.

But through advanced manufacturing, new advancements in lithium-ion battery production has led to significant cost reductions—this makes for cheaper batteries, and more plug-in electric vehicles on the streets.

Footage of a 3D printing learning laboratory.

Advanced manufacturing means more than just making high-tech products. It also includes using new, leading-edge machines and processes to streamline productivity – saving time, energy, and money.